We are a polite society of complainers. The weather. The price of gas. Politics. Typical social conversations are full of them. So it's easy to get caught up in the momentum of that kind of thinking and to create a bigger belief that somehow our lives are hard. However, most of these complaints are what I would call.....luxury complaints. Not that we don't have a right to still feel them and consider them annoying, but we need to remind ourselves that in the grand scheme of things......we are really fortunate. We live in a wealthy, democratic, pretty safe country. We have an agreement as a society to take care of the old and the sick. I'm not saying it works perfectly but we do not live in the substandard conditions that over half the world lives in. So we need to remember when we grumble about our taxes and the price of gas that it is a luxury to be able to grumble about these things. Don't stop complaining because it is still your truth and it isn’t healthy to pretend either. Just put it into context and decide if you want to do anything to change the thing you’re complaining about. Better yet, name the fact that it is a luxury complaint out loud. Chances are if you say “If that’s the worst thing that happens to me today then it’s a GOOD DAY!!” to someone who got your order wrong at the coffee shop, both you and the other person will feel more connected for having put things into perspective and the positive connection will outweigh the annoyance created by the mistake……and will make both of you happier!!
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